Social change­makers see the world as it is now and imagine what it could be. What’s in between, that’s the work.

We are an accelerator of positive social change. SICI supports visionary social innovators and strengthens the ecosystems they need to thrive.

Read our Manifesto

We are intentionally located at the Harvard Kennedy School where the intersection of public, not-for-profit, for-profit, and social enterprise sectors come together.

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News & Ideas !

Cheng community map

Where in the world are our Cheng Fellows? Check out our interactive community map and hear directly from Fellows about their global impact.

Visit the map

To make social change, we need each other.

Social changemaking is a new and evolving field. We aim to contribute to the field’s growth and the value society places on changemaking work. We share what we know and discover.

We come together both seasoned and new to the work—students, scholars, writers, educators, and philanthropists, as well as representatives from community movements, governments, and socially conscious companies.

Whether you are new to social changemaking or a seasoned innovator, we invite you to learn with us through our courses, research, and fellowships.

multiple paths

We work to illuminate the multiple paths people take to make sense of complex problems, harness power for good, and create a brighter future for the causes that call them.

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What our community says

“SICI fundamentally understands power and innovation beyond enterprise. It’s exciting to have a center at Harvard that recognizes the nuance between market-based solutions and social innovation more broadly, while combining a deep and fundamental desire to disrupt how power operates in all sectors.”
Palak ShahHKS MPP Alumna, 2019 Beck Visiting Social Innovator, and Social Innovation Director, National Domestic Workers Alliance
“Harvard is supposed to prepare you for a competitive, fast-changing world. The Cheng Fellowship takes that a notch higher: it makes the world less prepared for you. You leave the Fellowship deeply aware of how unready the world is for your ideas and ideals and, thus, highly motivated for the long struggle ahead to harness what seems like a looming wave into your strongest tailwind.”
Bright Simons2018 Cheng Fellow, 2021 Beck Visiting Social Innovator, and founder of mPedigree
“SICI and the Cheng Fellowship has made me a better founder and a better person. I joined with a product idea and left with the drive to systematically shift the industry. I will be forever grateful for this community.”
Shelly XuHBS MBA Alumna, 2020 Cheng Fellow, and founder of Shelly Xu Design
“I am a changemaker made stronger by SICI. Many are in the process of reimagining capitalism. At SICI, through the Cheng Fellowship, we are in the process of putting those images into action.”
Samlara BaahHKS MPA Alumna, 2019 Cheng Fellow, and founder of Loo Works
“This [fellowship] is the most valuable part of my Harvard experience. The fellowship provides you the most valuable mentorship, network, resources, tools and techniques that can catapult your effort and passion to create meaningful social change from idea to implementation to impact.”
Bishal BelbaseT.H. Chan School of Public Health MPH Alumnus, 2020 Cheng Fellow, and founder of Karma Health

Philanthropy has a vital role to play in shifting changing directionentrenched systems and corresponding power structures — shifts that are essential for systemic rather than one-off fixes.

Our donors invest in uncovering and spreading the ideas, methods, and solutions to create lasting systemic progress.

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Across the world, social change is underway.

Unpack Our Approach